With eyes on successful tiger relocation programmes in other states, the Odisha government is all set to release new Royal Bengal tigers in Satkosia reserve forest by January or February next year in a bid to raise the population of the big cats in the state.
The development comes after a team from Wildlife Institute of India giving green signal to the state government in this regard after taking stock of various aspects like availability of food, forest density, extension of area, habitation inside the 980 square km area forest reserve in Angul district.
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Zarah the Bengal Tiger arrived at Out of Africa Wildlife Park earlier this month and was immediately introduced to two Great Pyrenees.
Klondike and Avalanche met Zarah shortly after she arrived with the hopes that the two dogs could keep her company and teach her the ropes of being a tame tiger.
“Dogs are really, really good for raising tigers," said Jeff Harwell, Core Group Manager at Out of Africa. "They share that predatory bond so they kind of get each other.”
Harwell says it wasn't love at first sight for Klondike and Zarah.
“(It was) a little bit tense at first what with the tiger having so many claws and teeth," he said. "Now they play constantly, they rough house.”
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For Africa’s ambush predators, patience can mean the difference between a hearty meal or a spoiled hunt. While cheetahs have speed and lions have numbers, leopards – the most solitary of Africa’s big cats – are experts of the sit-and-wait strategy. Few big predators can stage a better ambush than the leopard, as one rosetted stealth-master recently demonstrated in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
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The apparent pun in Smilodon, the scientific genus of the saber-toothed cat, seems to be an accident. The largest assemblage of fossils of these prehistoric carnivores comes from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, where they lived up until about 11,000 years ago. Weighing between 100 and 620 pounds, depending on the species, they had exceptionally long canine teeth, specially designed for precision killing. A new study, published in PLOS ONE, reveals more about these mammals and how they killed their prey. Limb bones found in the tar pits suggest that, even as kittens, Smilodon was very strong and robust. These kittens had big teeth—and muscles to match.
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Animal Planet will showcase an all-new season of exclusive programming dedicated to big cats (including lions, leopards and tigers) as a part of ‘Mission Big Cat’, starting October 2, every day at 9 pm.
Animal Planet has roped in actors Tapsee Pannu and Ranna Daggubati to sensitise people about the need for tiger conservation. The star cast of Golmaal 4, including Ajay Devgan, Parineeti Chopra and director Rohit Shetty, will also feature in a campaign promoting tiger conservation.
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England is famed for its pleasant countryside and animals more likely to be featured on Countryfile than a David Attenborough documentary about the African plains.
In the UK, the only known species of wild cat is the European Wildcat and is found only in Scotland.
That said, a number of Kent residents have been compelled to report sightings of 'large cats' to Kent Police in recent years.
TIME LINE:
Dartford, October 1, 2010
A 'large black animal' was seen in the Littlebrook area. Police attended and checked local cameras. Nothing was seen apart from a fox.
Canterbury, August 31, 2012
A 'possible large cat' was spotted in Blean Forrest. An enquiry was made to Howletts Zoo but all big cats were accounted for.
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A mountain lion was sighted by two hikers in the Berkeley Hills on Saturday, according to a Nixle alert issued by UCPD on Sunday.
The mountain lion, which was spotted on a trail near Grizzly Peak’s Sign Post 2, was approximately 75 feet away from the hikers, according to the alert.
There have been several mountain lion sightings in the Berkeley Hills in recent years. On Friday, UCPD received a report of a mountain lion sighting Sept. 16 near Centennial Drive and Stadium Rim Way. The big cats hunt turkeys and deer as a major food source, and several carcasses of animals suspected to have been attacked by mountain lions have also been discovered in the hills as of late.
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